Japanese sparrowhawk facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Japanese sparrowhawk |
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Accipiter
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| Species: |
gularis
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The Japanese sparrowhawk (Accipiter gularis) is a small bird of prey. It belongs to the Accipitridae family. This family also includes eagles, buzzards, and harriers. People sometimes call it the Japanese lesser, Asiatic, or Eastern sparrowhawk.
This bird is a small raptor. It has wider, rounder wings and a shorter tail. It measures about 23 to 30 centimeters (9 to 12 inches) long. Its back is dark, and its belly is whitish. Males have brown-grey stripes and reddish-brown sides. Females have more brown stripes on their belly. Both males and females have a stripe on their throat. This stripe is clearer on females. You can usually tell it apart by how it looks. Sometimes, it makes a chattering kiki-kik-kik... sound. This bird usually breeds in parts of Russia, Korea, Japan, and China.
There are three different kinds, or subspecies, of Japanese sparrowhawks. They look a bit different and live in different places. Globally, this species is listed as least concern. This means it is not in danger of disappearing. However, it is endangered in Japan. It is also protected in China.
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What is a Japanese Sparrowhawk?
The Japanese sparrowhawk was first described in 1844. This was done by Temminck and Schlegel. It was placed in the Accipiter genus. This genus is part of the Accipitridae family. The name Accipiter means "hawk" in Latin. The word gularis means "throat." This probably refers to the stripe on the bird's throat.
This species is very similar to the Besra (A. virgatus). For a while, people thought the Japanese sparrowhawk was a traveling type of Besra. But this was proven wrong. Then, they thought these two were very closely related species. However, new discoveries show they are not as close as once thought. They might be more related to the collared sparrowhawk (A. cirrocephalus) from Australasia.
Different Kinds of Japanese Sparrowhawks
Since its discovery, the Japanese sparrowhawk has been divided into subspecies. These groups live in different areas. The first group found is called Accipter gularis gularis. Two more subspecies were found later. The first new one was A. g. sibiricus. It was found by Stepanyan in 1959. The third subspecies, A. g. iwasakii, was reported by Mishima in 1962.
What Does It Look Like?
Male Sparrowhawks
Adult male Japanese sparrowhawks are 23 to 30 cm (9 to 12 in) long. Their wingspan is about 46 to 58 cm (18 to 23 in). They weigh between 92 and 142 grams (3.2 to 5 oz). They have a small, curved beak. Their wingtips are long and pointed. They have a fairly short tail and long, thin legs and toes.
Adult males have black-slate colored upperparts. They have white on the back of their neck. Their underparts are whitish with grey-brown and reddish-brown stripes. Male sparrowhawks have yellow legs. Their tail feathers are grey with four dark bands. Their eyes are red-orange. They have brown-grey patches on their cheeks. There is a faint line on their white throats. When flying, males might show a light reddish-brown color on their chest sides. Their wing-linings and flanks have clear brown-grey bars. Their flight feathers have thin bands.
Female Sparrowhawks
Adult females are larger than males. They weigh around 111 to 193 grams (3.9 to 6.8 oz). Their upperparts are brown. They do not have any reddish-brown stripes on their underparts or sides. Females have a white body and wing-linings with brown-grey stripes. Their eyes are yellow. Like males, they have yellow legs and a throat stripe. This stripe is more noticeable on females.
Young Sparrowhawks
Young sparrowhawks are dark brown on their upperparts. Their sides are buff or reddish-brown. Their underparts are cream-colored. They have reddish-brown streaks on their chest. They also have spots on their belly and stripes on their sides. Young birds have white above their eyes and on the back of their neck. Their tail feathers have thin bars. They also have a throat stripe. Their eyes are brown, and their feet are yellow-green.
The Accipter gularis gularis and A. g. sibiricus subspecies look similar. However, the adult iwasakii subspecies is smaller. It has a darker back and wider spots on its belly. Its eyes are lighter, and its wingtips are more rounded.
Where Do They Live?
The Japanese sparrowhawk usually lives in many types of forests. These include deciduous (trees that lose leaves), coniferous (evergreen trees), and mixed forests. They live at heights up to 1800 meters (about 5900 feet). But they usually stay below 1000 meters (about 3300 feet). They prefer southern taiga and subalpine areas near rivers.
During migration and winter, you might see them in villages. They can also be found in open areas where forests and bushes mix with marshes and fields. This species is generally found in its breeding areas. These include eastern Russia, Sakhalin, the Korean peninsula, Japan, and Northeastern China.
The distribution of the Japanese sparrowhawk varies by subspecies. Accipiter gularis sibiricus travels and breeds from Mongolia to eastern China. It is thought to spend winter in southeast Asia and Indonesia. On the other hand, A. g. iwasakii does not travel. It lives only in evergreen subtropical forests on the South Ryukyu Islands of Japan. A. g. gularis is the most widespread subspecies. It has two main groups. One group travels and breeds in northeast China, eastern Russia, and Japan. It winters in the Philippines and Indonesia. The second group of A. g. gularis lives all year in city and suburban areas of Japan.
How Do They Behave?
The Japanese sparrowhawk is a shy bird. You usually don't see it outside forests during the breeding season. At this time, it is either alone or with a partner. During migration, it can be seen in fast flight and soaring high up. They migrate from mid-September to November. They also migrate from mid-April to June. While migrating, they usually fly alone or in small groups. In winter, they are seen sitting in more open areas.
What Sounds Do They Make?
The Japanese sparrowhawk only makes sounds when it is breeding. Its main call is a chattering kiki-kik-kik... sound. The speed and loudness of this call can change. For example, it is slower when they are trying to attract a mate or talk to their partner. It is softer when they bring food or ask for something. But when they are defending their territory against other birds, humans, or predators, the call is much faster. Other sounds reported are a soft key-key and a sharp kee-bick. They also make a kwu sound between mates before nesting.
What Do They Eat?
The Japanese sparrowhawk hunts in open areas. It surprises its prey from a perch. It also chases prey while in flight. It often hunts small forest songbirds. These include sparrows, buntings, warblers, tits, and nuthatches. Sometimes, it hunts larger birds like magpies and pigeons. It also eats small mammals like voles and bats. Insects and sometimes reptiles are also part of its diet.
Reproduction: Raising a Family
The Japanese sparrowhawk breeds from June to August. Males and females find partners. They start with a pre-nesting display. Both birds make kwu sounds. They bow their heads and lift their tails while on a perch. They also perform aerial displays. These include wavy sky dances, high-circling, and slow flapping.
The pair builds their nest in a tree. It is usually near the tree trunk, about 10 meters (33 feet) off the ground. The nest is made of twigs. It is lined with leaves and pieces of bark. They lay clutches of 4 to 5 eggs in June in Siberia. In China and Japan, they lay 2 to 3 eggs a bit earlier. The eggs hatch after 25 to 28 days. The chicks fledge (learn to fly) in June in Japan and August in Siberia.
Protecting the Japanese Sparrowhawk
The IUCN Red List lists the Japanese sparrowhawk as least concern globally. Its population is stable. There are an estimated 13,400 to 67,000 adult birds. However, it is a class II protected species in China.
Also, the A. g. iwasakii subspecies is listed as endangered in Japan. This is in the Red Data Book of the Japan Ministry of the Environment. This is because their nesting spots and breeding success are declining. But scientists still don't know much about its exact population size or life cycle.
